Aussie Vets Care for Kangaroos, Possums, Alpacas Injured by Bushfire

In the southwest corner of Australia, the Waroona Veterinary Clinic is working to undo the damage of a devastating bushfire—one kangaroo paw at a time.

Earlier this month, the fire ravaged the area around the Western Australia town of Yarloop, reportedly destroying over 120 homes and claiming the lives of two residents. As the people of Yarloop and nearby towns evacuated, however, most pets and wild animals were left behind.

But shortly after the fire broke, two members of the Waroona Veterinary Clinic promised to stay behind to treat animals injured by the fire.

“Dr. Ron & I are still in town and plan to stay unless we absolutely must leave,” Waroona’s Nurse Frosina wrote in a Facebook post. “We will arrange treatment for any affected wildlife and stock in the morning once we know if our clinic will still be standing.”

After receiving an influx of injured pets and wild animals—including kittens, dogs, cattle, llamas, birds, and marsupials—the clinic announced that it would provide free medical care for all creatures hurt by the fire, relying on donations from the public, local wholesalers, and other veterinary offices.

As a thank you to donors and an attempt to raise awareness of the ongoing impact of the fire, Waroona has posted daily updates on their patients—including this adorable joey, whose hands, feet, and tail were severely burnt in the fire:

The Waroona Veterinary Clinic’s Facebook page is filled with similar pictures from the aftermath of the fire that are equal parts cute and heartbreaking—from the first baby kangaroo patient they received:

To more recent intakes:

A pet cat that one Yarloop family had to leave behind when they were evacuated:

And this alpaca:

Some animals who reached the clinic quickly were able to see rapid recoveries from burnt footpads, dehydration, and smoke inhalation—but others weren’t so lucky. While the clinic has focused on sharing their happier, more promising cases on Facebook, the vets have also euthanized severely burnt cattle and posted guidelines for “when to cull [sheep] if need be.”

Last Wednesday, Nurse Frosina wrote a post celebrating the fact that “all of the patients we got into the clinic today survived and should make full recoveries.” But the following day, she shared a disheartening update: “Today was a bit sad with quite a few animals not surviving their injuries.”

As the clinic continues to treat animals affected by this month’s bushfire, they’ve posted details on how people can donate to support their efforts:

In the meantime, if the photos of Waroona’s injured patients have you feeling down, take heart in the animals benefitting from the vets’ tireless care—like this little possum swaddled in a blanket, nibbling on a honey-dipped Q-tip during a routine bandage change: